Breast support



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,539

R. H. REECE BREAST SUPPORT Filed Dec. 1'7, 1921 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES RAYMOND HENRY REECE, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

BREAST Application filed December 17, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND HENRY REECE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joilet, in the county of \Vill and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breast Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear\ and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in breast supports intended to be worn with outer garments and to afford ease and comfort to the wearer while preserving the natural conformation of the body, and not apply ing any undesirable pressure to the parts supported. WVith most of the garments generally known as brassieres, there is more or less undesirable pressure on portions of the body and the same are either pressed down or notproperly supported, to the discomfort and inconvenience of the wearer, and possible injury to the system.

My invention is intended to obviate such objections, and it will be more readily understood after reference to the accompanying drawings. in which like parts are inclicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved device as used on the wearer, parts being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, on a larger scale, of the device shown in Fig. 1, as detached from the wearer, the shoulder straps being shown partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, except that the front of the garment is broken away to show the supporting straps and the means of attaching the free ends of the same to the shoulder straps.

Figure 4 is a rear view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 1, but shows a modification in which the garment is cut away somewhat to clear the abdomen of the wearer.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, A represents a broad band-like structure, preferably wider in front than in rear, and stiffened in the back with a plurality of steels or bones on and a which are inserted in the usual way as in corsets or the like. The rear ends of the band are secured together by the elastic webbing B, and the SUPPORT.

Serial No. 522,982.

front ends are reinforced as at a and (1 and are connected together in any suitable way, as by the hooks and eyes C. Obviously eyelets, glove fasteners, or other securing means may be adopted if desired.

D and D' are two diagonally disposed elastic strips which are secured to the garment near its lower edge, preferably secured beneath one of the stiffening ribs a as shown in Fig. 3. The free ends of these bands cross in front to support the breasts of the wearer, and these bands terminate in smaller straps d having tongues (2 adapted to engage in the sockets e of glove fasteners of the well known French glove fastener type.

These sockets e are preferably attached tothe lower end of the shoulder straps E- and E so as togive a firm support for same. It will be obvious that the sockets and tongues of the glove fasteners may be reversed if desired.

The. shoulder straps E and E pass from the shoulders of the wearer, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and support the garment in the proper position. It will be seen that there is no necessity for any belt or tight fit of the garment around the body of the wearer, as the cross straps D will tend to anchor the garment down as well as act as supporting means in the manner stat-ed. The depth of the garment, especially in front or back, would depend upon conditions of taste, or upon the conformation of the body of the wearer, or upon the garments to be worn above or beneath the same, and I do not mean to limit the garment to any particular vertical depth, as it may be varied within wide limit-s.

In Figure 5, I have shown the device as entirely clear of the abdomen of the wearer which would in many instances be a very desirable condition.

It will be obvious that any suitable woven fab-ric,-or net work, or the like 'may be used for the body of the garment, but preferably some light fabric, properly reinforced, would be suitable for the purpose stated.

In applying the device, the shoulder straps are slipped over the shoulders, the supporting bands are snapped in shape in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, then the front of the garmentis fastened up, and the parts when completely applied are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

.It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims,

Having thus described my invention what- I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A garment comprising a body portion adapted to go around the body of the wearer above the waist, the front part of said body portion being provided with a plurality of crossed straps, the lower ends of said straps being attached near the bottom edge of the garment on opposite sides thereof, and the straps extending diagonally upwards across the front of the garment and having their upperends attached to the garment at points adjacent to the upper edge thereof and on opposite sides of the front thereof.

2. A garment comprising a body portion adapted to go around the body of the wearer above the waist, shoulder straps normally supporting said body portion, and a pair ot-crossed straps extending diagonally across the front of the garment from the bottom of one side towards the top of'the other side, the said straps being crossed in front of said garment, the lower ends being permanently attached to the garment, and the upper ends being detachably connected to said shoulder straps.

RAYMOND HENRY REECE. 

